The Jewel
by authorwithissues
Summary: The Order holds a mysterious Jewel, and it isn't a precious gem, but a person, an angel. What will happen when The Jewel is suddenly taken? This summary hates me. AU -HIATUS-
1. The Jewel

_AWI: I give you the obligatory disclaimer: I don't claim to own anything of Hoshino-sensei's. That would be dishonorable._

_Other than that, please excuse the absolutely atrocious writing of this fic. It has received none of the extra attention that Messenger of Death has and, thus, has suffered. It is HORRIBLY written and embarrases me. However, it will not undergo rewrite any time soon. Just be aware that the quality that you are stepping into in this fic is a **great leap down from Messenger of Death**._

_The Jewel is on hiatus until further notice. I request that you bear with me on this. It will recieve due attention someday in the far off future. Until then..._

* * *

**Summary:**

The Order holds a mysterious Jewel, and it isn't a precious gem, but a person, an angel. What will happen when The Jewel is suddenly taken! This summary hates me. Hiatus

The Jewel

The weather was beautiful and sunny and just right. The light shone down on the trees outside, casting leafy shadows that seemed to dance and a breeze ruffled them, as if beckoning you to join them. A stone building that could bring a church to mind stood amidst the scene, the birds sitting atop it chirping cheerfully, basking in the sun.

A young woman with a mane of flaming red hair sat at a window, gazing at the sight dreamily, obviously wishing she was out there instead of inside doing paperwork. She sighed wistfully, glancing at the mounds of dead trees atop her desk, fervently wishing that they were still alive and resembling those tall leafy green things that weren't lettuce. **(a/n: it's like I'm on crack!)**

Suddenly, an older woman with graying hair burst through the door, making the red haired one snap to attention and pretend to have been doing her work. The older woman only spared her a short glare, though, showing that she was agitated and distracted.

"Is something the matter, Miss Cassandra?" the younger woman asked.

"Oh, yes, my dear daughter. It's that boy again!" She threw her hands up in annoyance.

She had been the given the charge of taking care of The Jewel for the next two weeks while the Order got itself resituated with security and all that whatnot. Apparently the Jewel had tried to runaway or something, and knew where he was going, so the Order decided to just stick him with Cassandra Holmes in the middle of nowhere so that he couldn't contact anyone or know where to run to so that he'd just stay put. However, even with those securities in place, he was never allowed to leave his room and the younger woman even suspected that he might even be chained to a chair or the bed or something else. The flame haired woman had yet to even see him or hear his voice or anything, though, since no one but Cassandra was allowed near him. He always seemed to get on her nerves, though…

"What has he done now?" the girl asked slyly.

"He-he tried to slit his wrists! Can you believe that! He is the most highly rewarded and respected thing in the Order and he tries to commit _suicide_! Is he _insane_!"

"Wow. A suicide attempt. That's new."

"How on Earth were they able to _handle_ him there! It is just beyond me…" She sighed heavily.

"Why don't you let me take care of him just for today?"

"Oh, heaven's no, child. He's like a snake. If your mind isn't trained properly, he'll draw you in, poisoning your mind until you will side with him to your death."

"Wow. That was detailed…"

"It has happened before. He was able to get several promising youngsters to side with him. They fought to the death trying to get him out. I swear. Young people's minds are so easily broken these days…"

The young woman looked down forlornly. She had really wanted to see The Jewel of the Order. He was said to be an amazing sight, like an angel, and frighteningly powerful, so much so that it took rolls of talismans and charms to keep his power under wraps. It took two or three to restrain a normal person.

"Sorry, Nellie, but I'm afraid that that's just how it is. I have been given specific instructions from the Order to not allow anyone to have any form of contact with him. His words are a poison that can suck you up in an instant. Sometimes, even I start to have my doubts…"

"Right, Miss Cassandra…"

"Oh, that's right, Nellie! How's your work going?"

The girl groaned as the woman glared harshly at her.

* * *

_AWI: Thank you for patience displayed toward this piece of crap. I hope to rewrite it someday... Said someday will likely be years in the future..._


	2. The Crow

_AWI: And Chapter Two has arrived!!_

_Kasey: You know, I noticed something. Why did you call chapter 1 the same name as the story?_

_AWI: … … …Moving on! I do not claim any rights to DGM or anything else related! Hell, I don't even own the voices in my own head. They practically own me. Do you have any idea how many strange looks I've gotten when discovered talking to myself?_

_Kasey: Yeah. You are a freak aren't you?_

_AWI: It's all your fault, you know?_

The Crow

Nellie tiredly set her pen down after the hours of wrist breaking paperwork signing and blah blah blah whatever it is you do on paperwork. She looked out her window once more, but only saw the darkness of night. It was cloudy, so the moon wasn't visible, which made her sad. The trees glowed beautifully in the moonlight and it was something she's really been looking forward to after the bright, sunny day. When had those clouds gotten there, anyways?

A knock sounded at the door and Cassandra hurriedly rushed in.

"Nellie!" she hissed. "Go get some tea on! We've got a visitor!"

She jumped to her feet. "What? Who?" Who the hell could possibly want to come to the middle of nowhere? Even if the trees _were_ pretty? You'd have to be a total moron to come willingly!

The two women rushed out of the room, the younger one heading towards the kitchen.

--

Nellie stopped in front of the parlor door to listen in, eavesdrop, whatever you want to call it, on the conversation going on on the other side of it. She was able to make out the muffled voices of Cassandra an unfamiliar man.

"_I see, I see. I knew it was bad, but to think it could ever escalate to such a level… I understand," Cassandra said._

"_Also, please be extremely cautious when it comes to his moods. Those will oftentimes be your only warning," the man said._

"_Of course. Now, is there anything else you'd like to add, Mr. Link?"_

"_No. I believe that to be it. However, I would greatly appreciate a room for the night."_

"_Of course. You must have raced out here full speed to get me this news and information. It truly is vital in keeping it safe, after all. Any delay could have been fatal."_

Deciding that nothing else important was going to be said, Nellie knocked softly before opening the door, tea in hand. The first thing her eyes searched for was the owner of the man's voice. He was a tall professional-looking blond man with two strange dots on his forehead.

Said blond man nodded at her, taking his tea. Cassandra also took hers and looked at the girl, a reprimanding gleam in her eye. She knew Nellie had been listening in. A slight blush creeping up the girl's neck she nodded slightly.

"Will you be spending the night, sir?"

"Yes, he will. Go clean up the room nearest The Jewel's, Nellie."

"Yes, Miss Cassandra," she said, curtsying, before leaving

--

The two women huddled together in the kitchen excitedly.

"So? What news did he bring?" Nellie asked.

"He said that some rival organization found out about The Jewel. Apparently they've been looking for him for years but have never been able to find him. It seems they are just as powerful as the Order. Also, that Link man said that The Jewel might actually try to contact them."

"What? Why? Won't they just treat him like a lab rat? At least the Order doesn't perform experiments every other day of the week like some organizations would like to."

"In the confusion, he could slip away. That's why."

"Ooh. I get it now!"

"Shush, shush! But, that is why that man has come here. He is going to set up more talismans and charms, it seems, ones that can also keep people _out_, not just _in_. He seems to be a member of the Crow, maybe."

The two stood in silence as the weight of that idea settled upon their minds. The Crow were an elite group that would work under the direct orders of the Grand Generals of the Order. No one on their hit list could ever have a hope of surviving.

The building creaked with oldness, as if on cue, snapping them out of their reverie.

"Well, at least with a Crow here that other organization won't dare to attack or anything. I'm too young to die."

"Ha! That's a good one!"

"What? I'm not even in my thirties! Of course I'm too young," the flame haired girl said indignantly.

"That's not what's rich. Having a Crow here is actually making it more likely that they'll attack us."

"What!? But, why!?"

"Shush! You need to be quieter!"

"Whatever…"

"Having a Crow here is the proof that The Jewel is really here. The proof the enemy needs. Otherwise, they could consider a rumor nothing more than that, a rumor. Crows don't just pop up anywhere. They always appear where there's going to be some action!"

"I see… Crap. I don't want to die just yet. Especially not here."

"Well then where _would_ you want to die? Nobody _wants_ to die."

"The Jewel does," Nellie pointed out.

"Oh, he's just being a drama queen, trying to earn my sympathy. He's a rose, I tell you. Beautiful, but with sharp thorns that'll ensnare you at the first opportunity."

"You say that a lot."

"No use denying the facts.

--

_Celine: So is that Cassandra lady her mother or something? Because, if so, why does she keep calling her by name or "Miss Cassandra"?_

_AWI: How should I know? I'm just making this up as I go along. I just thought that daughter line would just fit there and stuck it there. End of story._

_Kasey: Right._

_AWI: Don't you use that tone with me, mister._

_Kasey: What am I, your son? Aren't you just a tad too young for that?_

_AWI: sigh…_

_Jamie: See! There! You did it again!_

_AWI: Shut up, you stupid puppy!_

_Celine: I second that motion._

_Kelley: As do I!_

_Rose: Amen to that!_

_Kasey! Same here, brother!_

_AWI: All in favor, say "I"._

_Everyone except Jamie: I!_

_Jamie: … You guys suck… And what's with all this courtroom vocab?_

_AWI: Oh, I was watching Law and Order a couple days ago and… yeah._

_Celine: So, it seems we really _can_ be influenced by you… How very… interesting…_

_AWI: Wow. Who knew you guys could actually be influenced by me? I never really thought I'd see the day._

_Tor: You know, it only makes sense. After all, we _are_ figments of your imagination._

_Pinky: He's got a point there._

_Blueberry: Yeah._

_AWI: Why are you guys even talking? Go back to your Emo Corners!_

_Pinky and Blueberry: Nope! The only person we'll listen to in Celine! Screw you AWI!_

_AWI: sigh…_

_Jamie: Ah! Ah! There it was again!!_

_AWI: Shut up! Didn't we all put forth a motion for the puppy to keep quiet!?? I could have sworn we did!_

_Jamie: Well, you did. But, you see, this is in your head, not in a courtroom._

_AWI: sigh… Maybe I _should_ take you all to court…_

_Celine: And how well would that work out?_

_AWI: I don't know, but it sure would be interesting._

_Rose: You got that right! I bet it would make headlines!_

_Vahl: Yeah. I could see that._

_AWI: Gah! Another one came out!!_

_Celine: Hey there… Vahl… How's it going?_

_Vahl: Hey there… Celine… How's life been for you?_

_Celine: … Oh, I don't know… Why don'cha ask that husband of yours?_

_AWI: Oh, shit. This is _not_ good…_

_Vahl: What was that!? Why don't you try saying that to my face, deary!_

_Celine: Sure, _grandma_! Your husband is stupid and I hate him!! There! How was that!?_

_AWI (panicking): Okay! I'm cutting off here! There's about to be a very bloody cat fight! Laters!_


	3. The Tree

_AWI (exhausted): Wow. That was bloody. Who knew my mind could be wrecked so thoroughly. It's a good thing I have this useless part of my mind just in case things like that ever happen._

_Kasey: Really? Why? What was it originally there for?_

_AWI: Oh, you know that annoying little voice that's always telling me to do my homework or something morally correct? Well, I shoved those two into that room._

_Kasey: …You do realize that's your conscience, right?_

_AWI: My what?_

_Kasey: Oh, shit. Don't tell me… Are you going to go seriously sadistic for the next couple chapters?_

_AWI: Hmm… I _am_ feeling awfully sadistic at the moment, now that you mention it…_

_Kasey: Dude, Dudette, Reader, whatever, it may be a good idea to run unless you are a total sadist._

_AWI: Hey, I'm not _that_ bad._

_Kasey: … Listen to your gut telling you to run._

_AWI: No, no! It's okay! I actually have a vague idea of what's going to happen in this chapter and it's nothing sadistic! I'll save that for later chapters. My conscience is probably going to be in the hospital for a while. I hope it recovers by Aki-con…_

_Kasey: So do I. So do I._

The Tree

Nellie awoke the sound of wood splintering and glass shattering. Shards of the jagged stuff was scattered all along her floor and all across her bed. It was quite the miracle she herself hadn't been hit. Staring in shock, she finally noticed the sounds coming from outside her door and down the hall… from the room The Jewel was residing in…

"Shit!" she said, turning with the intention of hopping off her bed and running frantically down the hall, only to be stopped by the realization that shards of glass were coating her floor like a blanket and she was barefoot. "Shit again!"

Now the thumping sounds resembled a scuffle more than an escape attempt. Cursing, she started searching the edge of her bed for shoes or slippers or _something_ so she could safely rush out of her room. For once, her messiness paid off. The young woman was in the habit of just tossing her shoes to the floor whenever she went to bed instead of putting them away on the shoes rack in the closet, which was in the hall, by the way.

Pulling them on, she dashed towards The Jewel's room. All glass in every room was shattered and the doorframes and beds and bookshelves and anything else wood near that room was splintered and cracked or just in a heap. The Jewel's magics were _dangerous_.

Finally, she reached that forbidden room. The talismans and charms were all ripped up and torn. Some even appeared to be burnt. Nellie extended a tentative hand towards the doorknob.

"Nellie!" Cassandra shouted as she ran down the hall towards the girl. "Get away from there!"

"Can the ban not be lifted even during a crisis such as this?" she asked, annoyed.

"No! Go outside, girl! It will be much safer there!"

She sighed. "Yes, Miss Cassandra…"

The older woman seemed to be well prepared as she handed the younger one a coat, as the nights were chilly. Nellie thanked her mechanically and went down the hall.

Cassandra went into The Jewel's room.

Glancing back just for confirmation that she was no longer being watched, Nellie dodged into her room and began pulling on some _real_ clothes, meaning pants. She shivered as she pulled the pants on. A chill had started settling in the room thanks to the gaping hole in the wall that could once be called a window. She shook off the chill and hopped out through the hole, landing on the soft, moist grass with a soft thud.

Gathering her coat about her, the flame haired woman headed for one tree in particular. It was one of the larger ones, but had some good lower branches. Nellie was definitely a tree hugger, or, climber, or… whatever. She loved to climb the things and was relishing the idea of climbing up into this one to use it as a "shelter". Knowing the tall tree like the back of her hand, she practically flew up it and was in the upper branches in no time, looking back at the stone structure.

The Jewel's room was windowless (which made her pity him every now and again. I mean, who _wouldn't_ want to look at the trees? That was the only purpose she saw in windows.), so she was unable to view what was going on within it. But, even if sight failed her in that sense, she could always rely on her ears, even if the picture wouldn't be as clear. The sounds of more talismans and charms being shredded were clear and sharp, and the fact that the noises were continuous made it seem _someone_ was _not_ happy with them and wanted them _gone_. The cacophony also made it seem that someone or something was constantly smashing into the devastated scraps of wood, only confirming Nellie's suspicions that there was a serious fight inside.

A flicker of concern sparked for Cassandra sparked in the young woman's mind, but a fire wasn't started. The spark quickly burnt out.

Suddenly, the din of stone cracking rang out in the air, tensing it immediately. Everything seemed to go still, and even the raucous behind the wall seemed to quiet momentarily.

But, that edgy silence didn't last long.

The wall burst out, almost seeming to disintegrate, two figures coming out with the rubble. One was the blond man, Link, and he immediately stopped moving once he hit the ground. The other, which was an unrecognizable shadow, was able to raise itself up off the ground and began limping away, but quickly disappeared.

Nellie's gaze then went to The Jewel's room. Cassandra was lying motionlessly on the debris coated floor, blood oozing from her head, eyes glassy, dead. No one else was in sight. The Jewel was gone, along with whoever had attacked. It seemed he had gotten away with his plan of slipping away during all the confusion…

-----

_Celine: Wow. That was kind of a morbid ending, there._

_AWI: Yeah, yeah, yeah._

_Kasey: Well… it wasn't sadistic, but, still…_

_Rose: Oh, just admit it. You were wrong Kasey. It's okay, though. It's all okay._

_Kasey: Shut up! I was only partially wrong!_

_AWI: Could you guys stop fighting? You're giving me a headache!_

_Jamie: So!_

_AWI: …So, what?_

_Jamie: I don't know. I was just trying to break up the fight for you._

_AWI: Wow! Hey! Celine! The puppy can actually be pretty nice every now and then!_

_Celine: Shocking, isn't it? But, think about it. Why would I let a useless person be anywhere near me?_

_AWI: …Hmm… You've made a good point, there._

_Celine: Indeed, I have._

_AWI: So! Readers! Please review! I have practically none for this one! I have a decent number the Messenger of Death, but this one isn't doing so good in that area!!_

_Alex: Yes. You must review so that I can mock your pathetic words._

_AWI: Wow. That was Emo… Alex, I thought you were a badass tomboy, not some Emo freak._

_Alex: I sit at the Table of Freaks for lunch every day. What were you expecting?_

_AWI: …I guess that makes sense, too… But, still. I never thought that you would turn out to be Emo. That was Rose's job._

_Rose: Hey, I'm not all that Emo._

_Michael: Why don't we just drop the dumb subject of Emoness?_

_Celine: I'm all for that._

_AWI: Same here!_

_Kasey: You know, nobody cares about what you think._

_AWI: Sigh…_

_Jamie: There it is again!!_

_Everyone but Jamie: Shut up, you stupid puppy!!_


End file.
